From Paris with Love
by fezzywhigg
Summary: A side mission in the "Chuck versus Unforgettable" universe


A/N: This story is from the "Chuck versus Unforgettable" universe so you may need to read that first. Enjoy!

No ownership of Chuck or any other Warner Bros. shows or characters is stated or implied. The only profit is my enjoyment.

No beta reader was harmed in this story. All mistakes are mine.

She knew she would be spotted if she didn't act fast. She hadn't anticipated a rotating security, keeping tabs ahead and behind her mark. Thankfully there was a lounge area in the restaurant he had entered and she had followed. Still, she wasn't out of the woods yet. She would stand out being alone. Also,she was still in her evening clothes, being caught by surprise at the opportunity this morning.

Sarah had been following a frenchmen who went by the name Jacque Noir. Graham had said that he was laundering money for a group that was funneling money to Al Qaeda. Apparently he had been an asset and was now trying to play both sides. A message needed to be sent. Sarah had been authorised to engage him any way necessary but to make an example of him so anyone with eyes to see, would know.

She had been alerted to a temporary cover. A single man in a booth at the restaurant alone. She only needed a minute and she really needed not to be noticed.

* * *

Chuck was sipping his americano and enjoying the croissants covered with nutella. It had been a long night. He had working to help Sarah with Jaque Noir aka Jacque François Charbonneau or as Chuck liked to call him Black Jack Shellac.

.

He knew Sarah had been keeping him under observation and seemed to be the focus of her mission. Chuck was not privy to all the specifics. Hell, he wasn't even supposed to be here but she was his partner even if she didn't remember him. And she was his friend.

It seemed to Chuck that she didn't have many, maybe only Bryce. Anyhow he had made a commitment to himself to look out for her just like he did for Bryce. He could have produced a "passport" for her and he would if it became necessary but he would rather just help her from the sidelines so to speak. He knew it was a bit selfish but he just liked to watch her work.

And he didn't want to be a distraction. Her finding out that she had been working with him for months and couldn't remember him would rock her memory of reality and would take some time to adjust. No, it was better this way.

Chuck could access some of Sarah's mission parameters but Chuck knew from Bryce that Graham always held certain specifics for the verbal briefing. Chuck was suspicious of that and was reminded of the saying "Say it and forget it, write it and regret it". He wondered what Graham didn't want coming back on him.

The best Chuck could ascertain, Sarah was to investigate Charbonneau's connection to a cell of Somali extremists operating out of the La Chapelle district. Chuck had found out that Charbonneau was doing the group's banking and taking a hefty "commission" of the illegal revenue coming from drug and human trafficking.

Chuck had been able to keep Sarah from having to cultivate an asset in the La Chapelle district by impersonating a real analyst at Langley named Robert "Bob" Sheridan. That way she could concentrate on Charbonneau who was (from his point of view) thankfully based out of the upscale Marais district.

If it ever came down to it, she and the the real anylist would just be puzzled as to the mix up in how she received her intel and with the way his condition worked she might not even remember to look into it.

Additionally data files copied from Black Jack's computer had been sent to Parisian police, Detective Besson, narcotics division, should take care of Charbonneau if the Somalis didn't after they were informed of his "commision" amounts.

* * *

" -ce que cette place est occupée?"

Chuck looked up and there was a beautiful woman speaking to him in french. He gaped. He understood the "excusez moi" part but that was it. The woman interpreted his pause correctly. She noticed the dodgers baseball cap and sat down.

"I'm so sorry…" she said in english. "I was asking if the seat was taken but I guess it is now ...by me." The woman laughed at her joke. "I'm Katherine Moudre, what's your name?"

The woman was bold. Chuck thought it suited her. She was tall and lanky with shoulder length dark red hair with blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. Her spaghetti strapped shimmering silver mini dress implied she hadn't been home yet as it was about six am. He briefly wondered if she was intoxicated.

"Chuck. Chuck Bartowski. Pleased to meet you Katherine...have seat...I insist."

Katherine gave him a smirk. Chuck noticed that she kept scanning the room and it was setting his radar off. Which wasn't hard as he was keeping an eye on Charbonneau and beautiful women did not just fall into his lap (or in this case booth) on regular occasions or ever, really.

In a few seconds, she was greeted by a dark haired woman with a pageboy haircut like Leeloo from the 5th Element. She wore high heeled short boots, torn tight black jeans with a nondescript white top under a black leather jacket with a black and white checkered kafiya. Chuck thought she was stunning even as whatever she was supposed to be, french avant garde?...grunge?. He hoped the nose ring was fake though.

Katherine quickly slid over to let her sit down. The woman, who was clearly out of breath asked Katharine for a cigarette from her which she received and lit up putting her face down. Coincidently a muscular man, also out of breath rushed into the restaurant, briefly scanned the room before heading Charbonneau's way.

"Chuck, this is my friend Cessi Marcheur. Cessi this is my friend Chuck. Chuck Bartowski. He's american."

Cessi appeared startled at the introduction, twisted her head slightly to the right and squinted before replying.

"Hi." Short. Hesitant. Shy. Chuck swore he would have lost it if she had said "multipass." She wasn't shy about taking a nutella croissant and taking a big bite though.

"Enchante' Cessi. I must say you look so familiar." Chuck tried not to smirk. He knew she hated smirkers.

Quickly, Katherine spoke to "Cessi".

*"He doesn't know french, trust me." Cessi replied "What happened?"

*"He had a backup tail. He spotted me two blocks away. Thanks for the quick thinking with this guy and the heads up."

*"Always." * in French

Katherine apologised for the french saying simply "...girl talk. You know."

No. Chuck did not know. He suspected they were talking about the mark or him or both. What he did know was that Sarah was undercover as Cessi Marcheur. That "Katherine" was probably an agent working with her. And he was amused that they had caught him up in their charade. Thankfully he had been able to put a tracker on Black Jack earlier so no worries. He decide to have some fun.

"So, you two girls from around here?..." It was ridiculously cheesy and he knew it. It was their facial expressions and their responses to his cliche american that was funny as hell. Eventually, the danger deemed past , the two women made their apologies and prepared to leave. Chuck couldn't help himself. He called out to "Cessi".He was fairly certain that the things he had put into play would allow the mission to wrap up soon.

"Cessi? If I'm not being too forward, I am going to be at the Eiffel Tower second floor tomorrow at ten o'clock. I would love your company if you are free." It was useless of course. She wouldn't remember the offer after she lost sight of him. He asked because he just wanted to, and maybe she would have said yes, if his life were remotely normal.

The woman's eyes widened. And again there was a hesitancy before she responded in a heavily accented english.. "I'm so sorry Chuck but I must work but please enjoy the sights. Chow!"

* * *

Sarah and Carina walked slowly but circumspectly back to the Hotel Dupond-Smith where they were staying. Both were lost in their thoughts, amazed that they just sat in a booth by themselves as Charbonneau's guard walked right past them, not noticing them.

"I guess we'll have to regroup on Charbonneau."

Sarah was looking at her phone. "I just got a text from Bob the analyst. He says some other plans are in motion and would like me to wait to engage the mark for 24 hours hours. He's not my handler or anything but he has given good intel and advice during the mission. I'm inclined to go with it."

"I guess we have some free time then. Let's have some fun…"

" "Katherine"..." Carina beamed at her friend staying in cover. "...we need to stay focused…"

"You know what…"Cessi", you can let your hair down when your boyfriend isn't around. There's no rules against having fun...like there is about….boyfriends." At least Carina smiled and bumped her shoulder at the last part.

"I know, I know. It's just that things are always different when we're not on a mission. He's seems like he's not that into anything but the sex or at least not fully. When we are on a mission, we laugh and talk...we get each other, we have fun in spite of the work. I don't mean to be a downer but I worry that it's something I do or don't do... "

"Nope, nope, not possible…"

Sarah just smiles at Carina's assertion. "You know what? Your right lets' see some sights, let's have fun."

Sarah and Carina took in a visit to the Louvre and were headed to dinner when she got the phone call. Carina's was a little later. After Sarah hung up with Graham, she let Carina know what was going on.

"Cherbonneau has been arrested and is in protective custody. It seems some of the Somalis are after him too. Grahams calling me back. I leave tomorrow afternoon."

Carina frowned "Me too but they have me on a red eye to Morocco. Seems there is a hashish cartel that just popped up on the DEA's radar."

"You still have time for dinner?"

"Hell yeah, I know this cool little place down on the Seine."

* * *

Carina was about to get in a cab to take her to the airport when she stopped and grabbed Sarah by the shoulders.

"We had fun today. Keep it up. You have a late flight tomorrow, why don't you slip by the Eiffel tower tomorrow. It's only a few minutes from the hotel. *" _Älskar dig tjejen!var försiktig!_ "

*Love you girl. Stay safe!

Sarah just smiled. She had been thinking the same thing. Maybe in the late morning…

*" _Zawsze. Staraj się trzymać z dala od kłopotów_." * to stay out of trouble.

"Hah! Never." Carina kissed Sarah's cheek and got in the cab

* * *

Chuck locked eyes with her as she exited the lift, amazed at the coincidence. He was surprised but pleased. He didn't think she would come at all. He knew she wouldn't remember him or his request. He had planned on seeing the Eiffel Tower anyway...

He had suggested she visit the Eiffel Tower before she left Paris...with him. And here she was ...he would had thought impossible but he lived impossible everyday. What he did think was it was cool that she liked the same things he did. That she had decided on her own to visit the Eiffel Tower

She still had the dark pageboy haircut but no nose ring, thank God. She was wearing blue capris and a light tee shirt with a sweater and matching espadrilles. She looked amazing, like the carefree young woman he saw in her from time to time.

Chuck approached her warily. This would take some finesse as he knew her guard would go up immediately. He probably could keep trying (and would) but he really wanted to do it the first time.

He extended his right hand. He had read once that the gesture was invented by knights to ensure their sword hands were literally in some else's hand to guarantee no violence. He hoped Sarah would take it that way at least.

"Hi, I'm Chuck...Chuck Bartowski. You must be Annabelle?"

As usual when Chuck introduced himself to Sarah, again for the first time, she paused as if taken by surprise. He assumed Chuck was unusual enough name then he added Bartowski. He pushed forward.

"UCLA student exchange? I called last week. You set up this get together. No?"

She just stood there looking into his eyes, shaking his hand before she shook her self and answered.

"No...no. Not Annabelle, I'm Sarah."

"Sa…? Sarah?" It warmed him that she used the name he knew her by instead of "Cessi".

"I'm so sorry. I was supposed to meet my representative for the student exchange program at PSL an hour ago. She said it would be dramatic. I think I must have been stood up or there was some misunderstanding. Anyhow, I have been waiting my whole life to see this view. How about you?"

He had noticed some suspicion in her eyes, her wonderful blue eyes, at first but it diminished as he talked. She almost looked amused now.

Lord this man could talk, she thought. He was tall with dark wavy hair and he had the most expressive hazel eyes that flashed with emotion as he spoke. She swore she saw green, gold and brown dancing in them as he apologised for mistaking her for someone else.

He looked familiar and the name hung in her mind like if she just waited a bit the context would come to her. She was sure she hadn't met him before because she couldn't imagine forgetting anyone that looked this good, that was so open.

She really couldn't be bothered to consider this Annabelle person since all she could think was _her loss._ Maybe Carina was right. She should try to enjoy herself more then just on her missions with Bryce. They hadn't exactly been getting along but the weren't exactly _not_ getting along. And it wasn't that she was cheating, she was just enjoying an attractive man's company while visiting a French landmark.

Never looking at anything but his face after briefly drinking him in she replied."I can honestly say I've never seen a better view myself."

She tried not to smile. Chuck just went on without noticing. He was so excited and passionate about the tower. She had lost her passion a while ago, though it did seem to be returning lately. His passion was invigorating to her.

"Oh I love it! I can show you around if you like…"

"Sure! I'd like that...Chuck." His name rolled on her tongue so naturally as if she said it often with fondness. She only reflected on that for a second though. She now had her own personal tour guide.

* * *

Later, in the cab to the airport, Sarah mused on the days activities. She couldn't remember a better day off. At first she had thought the warm feeling she had felt like when she was on a mission with Bryce. That was when they most in sync, when she felt the closest to him. The down times were...different.

She just wanted to be Sarah and Bryce and he seemed to want to be off somewhere else. Now that she considered it, she hadn't really felt this good since she was a kid in California crushing on some boy. And in Paris of all places! The black spot she had carried around with her since her Red Test seemed less. She didn't understand why that particular piece of baggage had been lightened but it was.

Sarah reflected that her mission in Paris was accomplished without seduction or wet work and now a day like this. She was reminded of a thought she had cultivated lately, now that she had started to dream again. Her life had truly gotten better since she had been partnered with Bryce.

As the cab approached Charles de Gaulle airport, she opened her bag to get her passport out. Inside was a small statuette of the Eiffel Tower. She didn't remember buying it. It seemed rather foolish to her to keep it but it warmed her and she knew it would go in her special box. She seemed to have more and more of these. And who knew. Maybe someday she would be back. She had the strongest desire to share the Eiffel Tower with someone special.

A/N:This is what happens when you get writers block on another story. I think in "Wookie" the writers just took advantage of the actresses Mini Anden and Yvonne Strahovski being bilingual (and not your usual French and Spanish bilingual). That being said, it sure opened the "Sarah is good at languages" meme in the show and especially fanon which is why I have Sarah and Carina do the same thing...sort of. In "Chuck versus Unforgettable" it's implied that Sarah and Bryce's relationship runs hot and cold but with this story I was really was inspired by Zettel's great new story " The (Mis)Education of Sarah Walker" which is probably why the story is mainly Sarah's POV (I didn't even think about it until it was done). Don't worry about Chuck. In addition to being his stalwart self from canon, he's pretty self sufficient in this universe and you know, I don't think he even knows he's in love with Sarah yet ;)


End file.
